Memorandum
To:
Wagner Students
From: The Writing Tutors
Date: August 19, 2010
Re:
Memo-Writing Guidelines
________________________________________________________________________
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide you with some guidelines for writing
effective memos. Writing a professional memo is very different from writing a research
paper. Although the details may vary somewhat depending on the memo’s purpose and
intended audience, these general guidelines should serve you well in virtually any context.
Begin by stating the purpose of your memo. The first sentence should identify the
problem you are trying to solve or remind the reader of your assigned task. Effective ways
to begin the first sentence include: “The purpose of this memo is…” or “In response to your
request, this memo provides recommendations on…”
Summarize your conclusions in the introductory paragraph. A memo is not a mystery
novel, nor is it a joke—do not wait until the end to deliver the punch-line! Since your reader
may be too busy to read the entire memo, you must get your main point across immediately.
Journalists refer to this style of writing as an “inverted pyramid”—the most important
information appears at the top and is followed by less important details, so that the reader
can leave the story at any time and still understand the main point.
State the basis for your conclusions in the introductory paragraph. Briefly summarize
the considerations you took into account or the methodologies you used to arrive at your
conclusions. For example, you might explain that your recommendations are “based on
analysis of leading theories on education policy as well as empirical evidence on student
performance in charter schools.”
Begin each subsequent paragraph with a thesis statement. If you would like to be
especially clear, write the thesis statement in bold text. The reader should be able to
understand the entire outline of your argument by simply scanning the thesis statement of
each paragraph. Ideally, the thesis statement should be concise enough to fit on a single line,
or at most two lines. It should be action-oriented and written in an authoritative voice. An
example of an effective thesis statement is: “Investing now in infrastructure improvements is
desirable for both economic and political reasons.”
Support the thesis statement in the body of the paragraph. Supporting information
might include more detailed arguments, statistics, citations, and so forth. After writing each
paragraph, read it over carefully, asking yourself if every part of that paragraph supports the
argument in the first sentence; if not, it does not belong there.
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Be concise. Flowery language has no place in a professional memo. If you find that a
paragraph is taking up half a page or more, it is either not worded concisely enough or it
contains multiple ideas that should be split into separate paragraphs. A typical single-spaced
memo has five or more paragraphs per page, as this one does. (Professional memos are
typically single-spaced, but if your professor asks for a double-spaced memo, be sure to
follow instructions!)
Know your audience. As you write your memo, keep asking yourself what the reader
already knows and what additional information they need from you in order to make an
informed decision. For example, if you are writing a memo to President Obama about the
upcoming expiration of the Bush tax cuts, you can safely assume that he is already familiar
with the tax cuts and that a lengthy description is unnecessary.
Avoid jargon. Use plain language that an intelligent nonspecialist can understand. When
using technical language is unavoidable, provide a brief definition. For example, you might
say “some health-reform advocates support the creation of a public option—a governmentrun health insurance agency that would compete with private health insurance companies.”
Stay objective. To keep your arguments as objective and unemotional as possible, avoid
referring to yourself in the first person (“I believe”, “I think”, “I feel”, etc.) unless absolutely
necessary, and if you are the sole author of your memo, definitely avoid the imperial “we”!
Use active verbs. The passive voice obscures responsibility for making and acting on
recommendations, and often makes writing unnecessarily wordy. Instead of saying “it is
recommended that a reduction in U.S. military forces in Afghanistan be taken under
consideration,” simply say “consider reducing U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.” (See the
earlier point about using an authoritative tone.)
Anticipate counterarguments. Presumably your recommendation is not the only potential
course of action, so explain why it is preferable to the alternatives. Do not pretend that your
recommendation is perfect; acknowledge its imperfections but explain why the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages. For example, you might begin a paragraph with: “Opponents
argue that a cap-and-trade policy will not reduce carbon emissions significantly; however…”
Provide “road signs” as needed. It may be useful to provide brief headers for each of the
memo’s main sections, especially if your memo is more than two pages long. A memo on
housing policy, for example, might include the header Options for Funding Low-Income
Housing Initiatives.
Cite your sources. As with any written assignment, you must not claim credit for other
people’s original ideas. If your professor provides instructions on how to format citations,
follow their instructions. Otherwise, it is typically acceptable to cite sources within the text
of a professional memo. For example, you might say “… as reported in the Congressional
Budget Office’s 2010 Budget and Economic Outlook.” Alternatively, if you have a large
number of sources, you may put citations in footnotes or endnotes. Never include a
“bibliography” or list of references at the end of a professional memo, however.
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Number your pages. Providing page numbers makes it easier for the reader to refer to the
text when responding to your memo with questions and comments.
End with a concluding paragraph. Never end a memo abruptly after making a new
argument. Finish with a concluding paragraph that briefly summarizes your major points
and discusses their significance and implications. You may wish to add a final sentence
offering to answer questions or to meet with the reader in person; however, this does not
make sense in all contexts (for example, you would not propose a personal meeting with
President Obama).
We are here to help you! Please visit us during our office hours to discuss any remaining
questions you may have about writing memos, as well as research papers and other written
assignments. We look forward to working with you this year. Thank you for your attention.
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